First Instinct — Suzie O'Connell

Will an act of selfish brutality bring lifelong friends Beth Carlyle and Nick Hammond closer together… or will the trauma drive them apart? At the start of her final year of college, Beth's greatest worries are passing all her classes and enjoying her last months of freedom before she steps into the future she's dreamed of all her life. When her boyfriend turns violent after a fun night on the town, that future shatters. Forget those kids she wanted and forget ever enjoying a man's touch again. All she has left is her family's ranch… and Nick. When Nick jumps in to protect Beth, his future is thrown into chaos. He's always been sure of his life's path -- when his father retires, he'll inherit his family's sprawling ranch. It's the only life he wants, and he might lose it all if he can't convince his family he's doing the right thing by defending Beth in the aftermath of that awful night. As the boundaries of their relationship shift, a love neither expected takes root, but unless Beth can find the courage to keep Nick from facing undeserved consequences, this tentative hope for a future together will wither.